A note from our MPP

posted Jun 14, 2017, 2:13 AM by Westboro Beach Community Association

Dear Friends,

As you know, with your support, I made changing the law to lower speed limits a part of my 2014 campaign. I am excited to share that today the Ontario passed legislation to protect the most vulnerable users of local roads, including our children, seniors, pedestrians and cyclists.

The Safer School Zones Act gives municipalities more tools to fight speeding and dangerous driving in their communities.

Thanks to the continued advocacy of local community leaders like the Civic Hospital Neighbourhood Association and Wellington Village Safe Streets, the changes will include:

· Automated speed enforcement (ASE) technology, which will help catch speeders. Municipalities will have the option to use this technology in school zones and also in community safety zones on roads with speed limits below 80 km/h.

· The ability to create zones with reduced speed limits to decrease the frequency and severity of pedestrian-vehicle collisions in urban areas.

· A streamlined process for municipalities to participate in Ontario’s effective Red Light Camera program without the need for lengthy regulatory approval.

Photo: Working with local community advocates, Yasir Naqvi (MPP for Ottawa Centre) helped pass Safer School Zones Act to keep kids, seniors, pedestrians and cyclists safe on residential streets, school and community safety zones.

For years, municipal leaders, police boards and road safety advocates from across our community have asked for these tools to help keep roads safe, particularly in areas with children and seniors. With the passage of this new legislation, municipalities will now have the option to implement road safety measures in a way that makes sense in their local communities.

Ontario’s roads have consistently ranked among the safest in North America, and these new tools will help make our neighbourhoods even safer for the most vulnerable in our community.

QUOTES

“I am very proud of our community’s effective advocacy to lower speed limits on Ottawa’s residential streets and in our school zones. Thanks to their hard work, this legislation is an important step in creating safe roadways to use and enjoy, for the most vulnerable in our neighbourhoods.”

- Yasir Naqvi, MPP for Ottawa Centre

“The new legislation is a great step forward in giving municipalities the flexibility they need to reduce unsafe speed limits and strictly enforce new limits. We thank MPP Naqvi and the Ontario government for listening to our concerns and pushing forward these necessary changes.”